Nov. 19, 2016
By Joanne Norell
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The University of Notre Dame women’s fencing team took home two of three gold podium positions Saturday, with Irish individuals winning the foil and epee events at the Garret Penn State Open.
Senior foilist Lee Kiefer and sophomore epeeist Amanda Sirico were dominant Saturday, snaring gold for the Irish in their respective weapons.
In her first college event since winning 2015 NCAA Women’s Foil Championship, Kiefer snatched the top spot in the foil event at Penn State’s White Building, going 15-1 in pool play and winning three of four elimination-round matches by more than 10 touches as the top seed. After falling to Ohio State’s Eleanor Harvey in her only loss of pool play, Kiefer defeated Harvey 15-8 in the gold-medal bout for the tournament victory.
Sirico earned the fourth seed in elimination play after posting a 12-4 mark in three rounds of pool play. She defeated Ohio State’s Eugenia Falqui 15-11 in the championship bout for her first collegiate tournament win.
The Irish had 11 fencers advance to the elimination round across all three weapons groups. In foil, freshman Samantha Viqueira finished in sixth place as Notre Dame’s next-highest finisher of the day. She was followed by classmate Finnula Magyars in 11th, junior Zoe Loh in 13th and junior Reagan Fitzgerald in 16th. Sophomore Molly Hudson was 11th in epee, while junior Katherine Clarke came in 15th in that weapon, as well. In sabre, freshman Regina O’Brien paced Irish finishers in eighth place, while freshman Natalie Disher placed 11th and sophomore Tara Hassett came in 16th.
The Irish will wrap up the Penn State Open with the men’s competition on Sunday. For live results, visiting FencingTime.com, and following @NDFencing on Twitter.
Garret Penn State
White Building
University Park, Pa.
November 19-20, 2016
Women’s Results
Foil
1. Lee Kiefer *
6. Samantha Viqueira *
11. Finnula Mageras *
13. Zoe Loh *
16. Reagan Fitzgerald *
25. Erin Dietsche
36. Kellsey Mone
Epee
1. Amanda Sirico *
11. Molly Hudson *
15. Katherine Clarke *
18. Marie-Anne Roche
T-23. Katherine Wallace
34. Eva Niklinska
38. Julia Barry
42. Erin Coscia
Sabre
8. Regina O’Brien *
11. Natalie Disher *
16. Tara Hassett *
17. Christina Boitano
*Advanced to elimination rounds
— ND —
Joanne Norell, athletics communications assistant director at the University of Notre Dame, has been part of the Fighting Irish athletics communications team since 2014 and coordinates communications efforts for the Notre Dame women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and fencing programs. Norell is a 2011 graduate of Purdue University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, and earned her master’s degree in sports industry management from Georgetown University in 2013.